Drying line and self-locking reel therefor



10, 1946. HANNA 2,412,396

DRYING LINE AND SELF-LOCKING REEL THEREFOR Filed Jan. 1,1945 5 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR. Anne D. Hanna Dec. 10, 1946. A. D. HANNA DRYING LINE AND SELF-LOCKING REEL THEREFOR 'Fild Jan. 1; 1945. s SheeiS-Shegt 2 I "I'l v f INVENTOR. v Anne 0. Hdttlld ATI'0RMEY Dec. 10, ,1946. A. D. HANNA DRYING LINE AND SELF-LOCKiNQREEL THEREFOR Filed Jan. 1, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

- Anne 17. Hanna,

B I /f %w ATZWRNEY Patented Dec. 10, 1946 DRYING LINE AND SELF-LOCKING REEL THEREFOR AnneD. Hanna, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 1, 1945, Serial No. 570,967

vention is of this general type, but one which carries a portable drying line for wet clothes or 13 Claims. (Cl. 242--100) otherarticles to be hung up for temporary periods and which is particularly suitable for traveling.

In addition to the vacuum cup attachment, an important feature of the invention is the method of and means for retaining the cord or line which is suspended between two vacuum cups or between one vacuum .cup and another support. The cord. or line is wound on a reel or sheave which not only serves as .a keeper spool for the line, but also is so constructed as to provide a lock for the reel to fixedly hold any length of line being used. The vacuum cups, reel, and line are so constructed that all elements may be conveniently carried in a traveling bagor ladies purse and quickly attached and detached to the walls of dressing rooms, sleeping compartments or berths of trains, or to the walls or other smooth surfaces of bathrooms or kitchens in the home. As will be explained in detail hereinafter, the device may be readily put in use and the line quickly wound back on the reel attached to one of the vacuum cups.

The principal object of the invention, therefore,

is to provide an improved portable drying line for clothes or similararticles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved drying .line and supporting reel and lock therefor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved drying line support, one which is easily attachable and detachable, with the length of line readily adjustable to variouslengths.

A. still further object of the invention is to provide an improved reel device which is self-lock- Although the novel features whichare believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims, the manner of its organization and the.

mode of its operation will be better understood by referring to the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof in which:

Fig. 1 is a View showing the device set up for use.

Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the embodiments of the reel mechanism of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment show in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the' embodiment of Figs. '2 and 3, showing the reel in locked position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a second embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6-is a cross sectional View of the reel shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the hub for the reel of Fig. 5.

' drying line, Fig. 1 shows a reel carrying vacuum cup -5 attached to a wall 6., and a vacuum cup l with a hook 28 (see Fig. 10) attached to wall 8 with a line l0 extending between the two cups for the purpose of supporting wet clothes and the like. The reel cup 5 is larger than cup 1, since it carries the reel, but the size of both cups will depend upon the weight of the material to be supported by the line.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it will be noted that vacuum cup 5 is of the well-known circular type with flexible outer edges, a tip 13 being provided for the purpose of breaking the vacuum when the cup 5 is to be detached. Molded in the hub l5 of the cup 5 are the split and flared ends l8 of a reel hub or axle H, the outer portion being a serrated disc with inwardly extending locking projections 26.

The line supporting reel is composed of a plurality of radial ribs or spokes 23 with a solid center disc section, as shown by the dotted lines IS in Fig. 2, the inner edge'lZ of the disc being expanded at right angles to form a. bearing portion for the reel. The edge of bearing l2 abuts a washer 2| positioned on the hub H and against the cup hub 15. The cord or line H! iswound in the channel formed by bending the radial membars 23 downwardly and upwardly with flat/p01- tions 2-5. The ends of the members may. be sharply bent to accommodate a disc 21 to stiffen 3 the reel. The disc 21 may be eliminated if the spokes 23 are of heavy gage material.

To unreel the line ID, the reel is simply rotated when in the position shown in Fig. 3 to allow the line It to be unwound, extended, and fastened to the hook 28 of the cup 1. of the line H] may have a ring 30 attached there- The end to, as shown in Fig. 2, the ring, cf.course, being attachable to any other supporting means as well as the cup I. When the line is drawn fairly taut, the tension on the line moves the reel radially along the hub I! so that the extensions 25 may enter betewen the spokes 23 of the reel, as shown. in Fig. 4. Since the hub i7 is fixedly mounted, the reel will be locked in position, and

no further length of line can be unwound. Thus,

an automatic lock is provided between the reel supporting hub or axle and the reel itself, which is adjustable within an angle of sixty degrees when six spokes are employed. It will be noted that the ends or edges of the projections 26 are saw-toothed so that a ratchet action is obtained to move the reel to rotating position when it is ilooped around locking arm 51; in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, r

commodatea stud 55 on which is fixedly mounted a knob 4| having an annular groove 42 around its innersurface and a radial groove 46. All the elements just described are fixed with respect to the cup 5. g V

Rotationally mounted on the hub 29 is a reel comprising a U-shaped annular element with a, back side flange 35 and a front side flange 35, the latter having an annular rim projection 37, which normally occupies only a portion of the groove 42 in the knob 5|. On the face of the front Side flange 36 are detent projections 45 adapted to enter holes 44 whenthe reel 34 is moved axially to the right to lock the reel in nonrotational position. wound on the flat section of the member 34.

This reel construction operates in a similar manner to that of the embodiment shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. It is only necessary, after the required length of line is unwound from the reel, to place the cord It? in the slot 45, the tension on the cord l5 sliding the reel 34 axially along the hub 29 until the projections' i5 of the reel enter the first adjacent holes 44. Sincethe knob is sta tionary, the reel will stay in locked position by the tension on the line [5. Y

' Referring now to the third embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the vacuum cup 5 has. a cylindrical portion 55 imbedded in the hub l5 of the cup 5, the hub being internally threaded to accommodate the axle 51' on which is mounted a rotatable reel 52 composed of an inner side flange 53 with annular openings 54 ad:- jacent its periphery and an outer side flange 55. The imbedded portion 55has a flat, flexible, ra-.- dially extending arm 5'! which has an embossed projection 58 and a hooked end portion 59. In this embodiment, the cord or: line I 0 is wound onthe reel 52, and when the cord 15 i extended the proper distance, it is looped around the ex-, tension 51 as shown in Fig, 8. This extension, being flexible, will bend toward the side flange 53,

The line H] is adapted to be permitting the embossed point 58 to enter one of the perforations or holes 54, which, since the extension 51 is stationary, will .keep the reel .52 from rotating.

Thus, all the above embodiments function in the same manner, that is, the end of the line may be attached to either a-vacuum cup carrying hook or any other point of support, the line being extended from the reel tothe desired length with the tension of the line locking the reel from further rotatiorr. In Figs. 8' and 9, the line is the line is inserted in notch 46; while in Figs. 2, 3,

and 4, the tension of the line slides the reel into locking engagement with the hub extensions 26.

When the line has served its purpose, or it is desired topack it, the end of the line is simply detached and the line wound on the reels, as. explained above. The second vacuum cup used for the attachment of the other end of the line may be attached to the inner flat portion of the-reel carrying 'cup 5, as shown in Fig. 3, for carrying purposes. All of the cups may have projections, f

such as shown at l3 in Fig. 3, for facilitating the releasing thereof from the surfaces to which they are attached. It'is also understood thatdisc 121. of Fig. 3 may have a radial slot therein, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, to bring .the pull of closer to the axis of the reel and-hub. I claim as my invention l l. A line and reel thereforjcomprising;atvacuum cup, a hub member extending from said cup, a line, a reel member rotatable on said hubj'nemej her and on which said line is adapted" tolfbe wound, and means for interlocking said reel member and said hub member when said line is extensions for supportin saidline, and said hub member has projections extending between said spokes when said hub member and reel are interlocked.

3. A line and reel therefor in accordance with claim 1, in which said reel member is slidable axe ially along said hub member, said reel member having projections thereon extending into open ings in saidhub member for interlocking said hub and reel members.

4. A line and reel therefor in accordance with claim 1, in which said hub member has a flexible radial arm extending therefrom, said arm having a projection therefrom extending into an opening in said reel member when said reel member and sa1d hub member are in interlocking position.

5. A quickly attachable and detachable drying line and reel comprising a vacuum cup, a reel member, an axle member for supporting said reel member, a portion of said axle memberfbeing imbedded in said vacuum cup, and means on said axle member having a projection thereon for entering a perforation on said reel member 6. A line and reel combination comprising ,a hub member; -supporting means for said hub member, one end ofsaid hub being imbedded in said supporting means and the other end of said hub'having radially extending flanges thereon, said flanges having openings therein, a line reel mounted for rotation on said hub member, and projections extending from one endof said reel and adjacent-said radially extending flanges, said reel member being sliclable v axially on said, hub

I for lock} ing said reel member to said axle member. v

member so said projections may enter said openings to lock said reel member to said hub member.

'7. A line and reel combination in accordance with claim 6 in which said supporting means for said hub member is a vacuum cup.

8. A line and reel combination comprising a vacuum cup, a cylindrical hub member having one end thereof imbedded in said vacuum cup and the other end having radial flanges extending therefrom, a plurality of spokes having an integral center section mounted on said hub member, and U-shaped outer ends adapted to have a line wound thereon, said spokes being, movable axially on said hub member, and a plurality of extensions on said hub flanges parallel to the axis of said hub member and adapted to be interposed between said spokes when said spokes are moved toward said flanges.

9. A line and reel combination in accordance with claim 8 in which said extensions have a diagonal edge to permit said reel to be rotated in one direction only when said line is under tension.

10. A line and reel combination comprising a vacuum cup, an axle having one end imbedded in said cup, a knob on the other end of said axle,

said knob having a, larger diameter than said axle and a reel rotatably mounted on said axle, said reel having a line wound thereon and slidable axially on said axle, said knob having a substantially radial slot therein for the insertion of said line.

11. A line and reel combination comprising a hub member, supporting means for said hub member, one end of said hub member being attached to said supporting means, a line, a, reel member rotatable on said hub member and on Which said line is adapted to be wound, and means for interlocking said reel member and said hub member when said line is tensioned and a component of said tension is along the axis of said hub and reel.

12. A line and reel combination in accordance with claim 11, in which said supporting means for said hub member is a vacuum cup.

13. A line and reel combination in, accordance with claim 11, in which said reel member is slidable axially on said hub member to interlock said members.

IANNE D. HANNA. 

